Funnel with spout and vent closure



Feb. 5, 1952 Filed Dec'. l5, 1950 Gn H. MORRISON FUNNEL WITH' SPOUT AND VENT CLOSURE 2 SHEETS--SHEET l AT TOQN E YS Feb. 5, l1952 G. H. MORRISON FUNNEL WITH SPOUT AND VENT CLOSURE 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed DeC. l5, 1950 INVENTOR. Guai-2m' HM'onmsoN ATTO QMEYS Patented Feb. 5, 1952 PATENT orrlci:V -atl .i FUN-NEL wrrir sroii'r Ann VENT oLosUmi einen H.; iii/imagen. recorre.. nl.

f Application Becerra-ber 15, 1.950,.'I Serial No. 22.130.985y

l' toY improvements infn nels@ and more partieulalllf to impro edtfunr nel provided with valve means. to.y pre-.ile li over flow of liquid from a Vessel being lled by Atlie use of the funnel. i Y

. intenti-on. relates anovel and improved safety funnel device which is simple in construction,r which easy tense.,v and which prevents waste of liquid by preventing, liquid.. from Overiowing vfrom the topl oth-a' vessel being filled by the.` use. Qi the funnel.

A further object. of the invention is to provide an improved safety funnel device which is expensiveA tomanuiacture., which involves.- only ev fewparts, which is sturdy in construe,tion,A which greatly reduces hazardsY in iilling vessels. with inflammable liquids, such as gasoline and the like., and which provides `a great saving in timo-'vivir lling vessels.. as well as being adaptablcmfol use on yvessels having differentv sizes of. lling, openings.

Y Further objects and adyantages of the invenction will become apparentfroin .the follcwin Figure 5, is an enlarged cross Ysectional detail view taken on line -5'of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a cross sectional detail view talen on line 6-6 of Figure 5. I Figure 7 is an enlarged ragmentary detaillview showing the pivoted locking arm of the funnel, device. in valve-locking position subseqllelit to the' elevation of' the valve rod of' the device.

Referring to the drawings, the improved funnel device is designated generally at II and comprises a hollow body having the downwardly tapering conical main portion I2, the cylindrical top rim I3 and the depending vertical discharge spout I4 at the lower end of the conical portion I2. Designated at I5 is a transversely exten support bar which is of inverted V-shape inl Voss section, as shown in Figure 3, and which extends diametrically across the rim I3. The bar v'I5-js formed at its ends with the securing flanges |6.I 6 through which extend the fastening bolts I1, I1 which fasten the anges I6, I6 to the rim I3.

A. main object of the invention's to. provide- Designated at i8 is a second bar member which is of inverted V-shape` in cross section andwhich is secured in thefconical portion I2 and' which extends in a direction transverse to the direction onthebar member t5. The bar-member i8 ex;- tends diametrically across the conical funnel portion l2. Designated at I9 is a vertical rod extending sli'dably through central apertures formed respectively in thebar'members I5v and I8'said rod being formed at its top end with a horizontal handle portion 20. Designated at 2i isY a valve disc carriedl at the lower end of the rod I-'9:, said valve discbeing slidable on the rod I9 and being urged upwardly- 'against a cotterpin -22 by a coilspring- 23 encircling the lower f arm. Thefree end of arm 25 is formed with a V notch 21 adapted to straddle the'bar member- I`5 when:the rod I9 is elevated,as shown in- Figure T, thereby locking "the rod I9 in elevated position. In this position, the valve'zl is forced `into sealing contact with the.l bottom rim of thediseharge spout Viid-against the pressure of the coil spring 23./ vvSince the arm 25 is freely hinged tothe rods I9! and 26; said-'arm 25falls` by gravity intothe position of Figure 7 when the rod I9 is elevated, therebyY automatically lock-ing the valve disc 2-I in' sealing position. In orde-r toretu-rn the valvev disc 2 l downwardly to open position, -it is necesf sary to rotate fthe arm 25 counteiclockwise, as viewed in Figure '7; Vby' means of the finger grip portion'z* ofthe locking arm 2.5.

Designated at 23 is a screen which isA provided at the lower end ofthe conical portion I2, the rody I9 extending slidably through the center oi the screen 28. i

Designated at 29 is a vent tube which is secured inside the body of the funnel device in any suitable manner and which is provided at its top end with the open curved portion 30 and at its bottom end with the vertical open portion 3l. Designated at 32 is a rod member having a vertically extending plug portion 33 aligned with the tube portion 3| and having the eye portion 34 encircling the lower .end of the rod I9 and clamped thereto by a nut 35. From Figures 2 and 5 it will be apparent that when the rod I9 is elevated, the plug portion 33 enters the vent tube portion 3l and seals said vent tube portion. Therefore, liquid will owf freely through the funnel device when the rodr I9 is in the position shown in Figures 2 and 5 but ow of liquid will be cut off when the rod I9 is elevated and locked because of the combined sealing action of disc 2| on the lower rim of the discharge spout I4 and the closing of the vent tube 29 by the entry of the sealing plug 33 into the lower tube portion 3l.

Secured to the lower portion of the conical funnel element l2 are a plurality of annular sealing gaskets shown respectively at 36 and 31, said gaskets being of decreasing'size in order to engage with the filling openings of vessels of correspondingly decreasing size. For example, Figure 4 illustrates the engagement of the. sealing gasket 31 with the rim 38of a vessel having a, relatively small lling opening. Designated at 40 is an annular ring member provided with a pair of diametrically opposed locking lugs "4I, 4I adapted to enter notches in the rim of a relatively large lling opening. When the funnel device is rotated said device `will be locked to the lling opening with the gasket 36 in sealing relation to Vthe rim of the opening. Similarly, kthe lower portion of the member 40 has secured theretothe diametrically opposed looking lugs 43, 43 adapted to enter notches 44, 44 in the rim 3-.8 and to lock the funnel device to the filling openingresponsive to rotation of the device to the dotted line positions of lugs 43, 43 shown in Fig.- ure 4, whereby the gasket 3,1 will be in sealing relation to rim 38. Y

It will be apparent that in usingthe device, said device is iirst secured to the lling opening of a vessel inl sealing relation to'the rim of the lling opening of the vessel; in the manner above described, and then the liquid to be poured into the vessel is admitted into the top portion of the device. The liquid will flow into the vessel until thevessel is lled, whereupon liquid will rise in the funnel 'devicef When this is observed, admission of liquid is discontinued and the operator elevates the rod I9l by means of the handle causing the locking arm 25- to drop into locking position, shown in Figure 7. The surplus liquid is then trapped in the funnel device. -The funnel device may then be disengaged from the rim of theY filling opening of the vessel and the surplus liquid trapped therein may be poured back into the supply reservoir or vessel or into any other suitable container. This prevents waste of the liquid and-also eliminates the hazards of inammable or explosive liquids such as gasoline orl the like from' overflowing or spilling around the receptacle being lled. In the case of gasoline or similar inflammable liquid, the overflow of liquid constitutes a dangerous hazard, and the present invention substantially eliminates such hazard by preventing overflow. Y f

While a specic embodiment of an improved funnel device has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as dened by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A funnel of the character described comprising a downwardly tapering hollow body having a bottom discharge opening, a rod, guide means slidably supporting said rod in axial position in said body, a valve member secured to the lower end of said rod and being sealingly engageable with said opening responsive to elevation,- of therod. a locking arm pivoted to said rod above the guide means and being lockingly engageable with said guide means responsive to the elevation of the rod to sealing position, a vent tube secured in said body, and a plugmember secured to said rod and arranged to sealingly engage said vent tube responsive to eleva.- tion of the rod.

2. A funnel of the character described comprising a downwardly tapering hollow body having a bottom discharge opening, a rod, guide means slidably supporting said rod in axial position in said body, a Valve'member secured to the 4lower end of said rod and being sealingly engageable with said opening responsive to elevation of the rod, a llocking arm pivoted to said rod above the guide means and being lockingly engageable with said guide means responsive Lto the elevation of the rod to sealing position, a vent tube secured in said body, a plug member secured to said rod and having an upstanding sealing element arranged to sealinglyengage in said vent tube responsive to elevation of the rod, a plurality of spacedvannular sealing gaskets secured to the lower portion of said body and extending outwardly therefrom, said gaskets being vertically spaced and decreasing in diameter toward the lower4 endof the body, and a plurality of locking lugs secured to said body below each of thersealing gaskets and extending radially outwardly from thebody.

GILBERT H. MORRISON.

REFERENCES CITED f The following references are of record in the file of this patent:`

UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain Q oet.`4, 1911 

